


Where there's a Will, there's a Way

by VinterChild



Category: No Fandom, Persons Unknown
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, BDSM, Bondage and Discipline, Fantasy, Fluff and Smut, Love, M/M, Master/Pet, Master/Servant, Master/Slave, Medieval Medicine, Rape, Romance, Romantic Soulmates, Smut, Violence, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-25 23:41:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18271460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VinterChild/pseuds/VinterChild
Summary: This rough love story evolved doing a yaoi roleplay on Google+ that turned out to be much longer than originally planned. We wrote the story over a period of 18 months, and I worked as the main author behind the storyline, whereas my co-writer was unaware of the plot throughout the entire story. We took turns responding to each other's posts, and I've kept the story as close to the original writing as possible. That means that nothing in this story has been changed since we wrote it, only our usernames in between responses have been removed to make it a nicer read. My co-writer controlled and wrote the character of William, meaning that every phrase featuring his point of view, him talking and most of his actions was written by her. Everything else, including all other characters, were written by me. Usually each respond will start with the name of the character taking action, or it will be indicated in other ways, so that you may know who's talking or acting :)The setting will be introduced in the beginning of the first chapter, so I don't want to say more about it here, despite that the scene is set in a kingdom of a medieval alternative universe. Enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

Lord Merreck resided at the Redmont Fortress and was the most feared lord in the area. He knew how he wanted things done and didn’t hesitate to punish or kill those who didn’t comply.  
He had long ago taken a liking to one of  the house slaves, William, who had eventually upgraded to being his personal servant. Merreck was so fond of him in his own way, that he had refused to let William go to the dungeon where most of the slaves eventually went and soon died. Instead the boy had to learn from his mistakes the hard way, which so far had earned him a broken leg, a twisted arm and a couple of crushed fingers, which hadn’t healed properly, making his overall movement and work slightly slower and more difficult than it had previously been.  
After yet another mistake, William had earned himself another punishment, this time Merreck had ordered him tied naked to a pole in the middle of the yard to let the biting storm and rain teach him a lesson.  
Merreck had started out determined to forget all about the boy when he that morning ordered a guard to tie the boy up, but had eventually found his way to the windows in his own private quarters, watching the boy’s suffering from the dark room a few floors up.  
In the evening Merreck realized he couldn’t do without the boy any longer, after having knocked a maid unconscious with an empty bottle of wine, when he was raging from the fact that no one was there to bring him a new bottle, as the boy would have done without even asking. Swallowing his pride, Merreck grabbed a fur cloak and wrapped it around his huge frame, before stomping into the stormy rain to bring the disobedient boy back himself.  
  
William had been freezing at first, tied outside naked in the wind and the rain, but by now he was numb. His blue eyes were closed, his whole body rattling against the pole with the shivers that he could no longer feel, it seemed certain that he wouldn't last the night. This wasn't such a bad thing as it might be, because at least then he wouldn't be in pain. But deep in his heart, Will knew that he didn't really want to die. If he had a death wish, he lived in the right place for it; a few deliberate mistakes and he'd be killed for certain. But his mistakes were only that, mistakes, so part of him must want to stay alive.  
  
The courtyard was by now a small lake of sticky mud, and Merreck had to move fast not to sink. He couldn't remember the last time it had rained this much and everyone had fled inside a couple of hours ago. He immediately regretted not having sent a guard to get the boy. At least the fur cloak kept him warm, which was more than could be said for the boy, who was all blue and cold as ice when Merreck stopped in front of him. Merreck's pale eyes burned through the darkness under the hood as he watched the suffering boy for a moment, before hissing in his face.  
  
"Can I trust that from now on you will behave like a proper servant, or would I be better off finding myself a new one, and leave you here to freeze to death?"  
  
The heavy tread of footsteps approaching was enough to make the slave hopeful, although William was fairly sure that he was hallucinating as he opened bleary eyes to see Merreck in front of him. He flinched at his voice, and knew that even if he was imagining him, he had to try. He wanted to go inside, wanted to be better for him. So the hyperthermic male struggled to find words around his numb lips and chattering teeth.  
  
"Pl -ple -please... I -I -I -I'll d -do bet -b -better..."  
  
Merreck loosened the ropes around the boy's body with a few quick cuts from the dagger he was always carrying. It caused the boy to fall into the mud, and Merreck kick him further down into it with his boot.  
  
"Then follow me. On your knees, like the disgusting pig you are."  
  
Merreck placed his foot on the back of the boy's head and forced his face into the mud, before he turned away and with heavy stomps moved back towards the entrance.  
  
As the ropes were freed from him, William collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut. He lay in the mud for a moment, which felt warm compared to the biting wind in the open air, only just processing the kick and then the command. The slave slowly gathered his wits and forced stiff, numb limbs to cooperate as he started to follow the sound of the heavy tread, praying that he could make it inside. He wasn't entirely sure that he could.  
  
Merreck waited impatiently inside as the slave slowly climbed the stairs. As soon as he appeared by the threshold, Merreck grabbed him by his hair and hurled the fragile figure further into the room, causing him to slide and scratch across the cold stone floor. A guard closed the heavy wooden door behind them once they were both inside, but didn't seem to notice whatever else was going on in front of him. Scenarios like these weren't unusual.  
  
Merreck shoved at the dirty slave on the floor to make him move towards the dining room further down the long hall.  
  
"Get moving, pig, I haven't got time to wait for you!"  
  
Merreck then hurried towards the great dining hall to finish his dinner, which he had left to bring the boy back. The maid whom he had knocked unconscious had been removed and the high ranked soldiers and other noble residents at the fortress were still enjoying their dinner, as if nothing had happened.  
  
The movement had started to push some heat back into the slave's body, making everything hurt as the numbness started to diminish. William wondered silently if it would have been nicer if he'd been left on the pole to die. Less painful, that was for sure. He felt himself be thrown inside, limbs too uncoordinated to curl himself up in a ball like he normally would, trying to make himself a smaller target. The harsh shove and sharp order made him whimper out a soft apology.  
  
"S -sorry..."  
  
He lay on the stone cold floor, trembling hard and trying to get up again. However his shivering was so hard that he couldn't get his arms and legs underneath him, his eyes threatening to close under the onslaught of pain rushing through him, radiating out especially from his old wounds. Despite himself, he felt consciousness slipping away from even though he knew he'd pay for that.  
  
Merreck had sat down by the table when he noticed that the boy hadn't followed him. He signaled for one of the guards to get him, and a moment later the boy was dragged into the large room. The guard threw the boy on the floor in the middle of the three long tables. Merreck sent him a dangerous and disappointing look. He then nodded to the guard still standing above him, and immediately after, the slave felt a sharp burning pain across his back, as a long thin leather whip connected with the boy's scarred skin.  
  
Unconsciousness didn't hurt. It was bliss. But it was too good to last. Despite not stirring as he was dragged and thrown, the still violently shivering slave woke with a sharp at the pain of the whip, crying out weakly. The blow left an angry red mark against the unusually pale colour of his skin, still tinged blue around his edges.  
  
Merreck just watched as the guard continued to strike the boy. He gave him a condemning look, waiting for him to get up.  
  
"It seems you didn't learn your lesson in the yard, boy. You want me to put you back on the pole? Get to your feet. Now! Look at all these people here. You're ruining their dinner with you pathetic behaviour, and you're embarrassing me in front of them. Get up and apologize!"  
  
Unwieldy arms and legs trembled as he got up shakily, a glazed look in his eyes again as he spoke softly.  
  
"I'm -I'm s -sorry Master..."  
  
He swayed slightly on his feet again, his knees threatening to buckle. No. He had to be good, he had to keep standing, keep conscious.  
  
The dining hall went silent when the boy stood, no one was talking or even chewing anymore. All eyes were on the boy, as people wanted to see what happened next. The guard had stopped whipping the shaking slave as soon as he moved again, and Merreck waved him off once the boy had spoken. Then he grunted,  
  
"Now, someone wash him down and give him some clothes!"  
  
Merreck dug back into his food and didn't look back up when two maids a moment later came running with a few buckets of water and some clothes. The guard from before grabbed the boy's boney arm to hold him up, as the girl poured cold water over him. Blood and mud mixed in a puddle on the floor. Everyone at the tables were watching the boy with fascination and anxiousness. The soldiers had a great time, laughing and mocking the helpless boy as the mood eased and people continued to eat.  
  
William's eyes glazed slightly in relief at those words. He'd long since given up hope of actually being warm again, but just being relatively clean sounded nice. The guard holding him would probably get a fair bit more of his weight than he was expecting, although that still wasn't much to hold. He was just... Struggling. The cold water pouring over him felt almost warm in comparison to his frozen body, and he shivered silently as he waited to be dressed, then expected to be alright again. He could still only imagine feeling his fingers and toes, and wasn't sure that he'd ever stop trembling.  
  
When the boy was clean, the maids started putting the clothes on him, and the guard violently yanked him back in place when he stumbled slightly.  
The clothes he was given was his usual: a woman's fullbody grey underdress, with a worn, woolen peasants tunic on top. The underdress was cut short, so that it stopped just below his knees. Since the day he had been given the job as Merreck's personal servant, these were the clothes he was allowed to wear. It gave Merreck easy access to his bottom when he needed it, and it gave the soldiers another reason to taunt the boy, whenever they crossed ways in the halls. This time was no different, and the soldiers laughed out loud when the blushing girls put the dress on him.  
Once it was done, the girls rushed off, and the guard dragged the boy to where Merreck was sitting, when he was signaled to. He forced the slave down on his knees next to Merreck's chair before he let go and moved away.  
  
Merreck leaned in and grabbed a chain connected to the side of his chair, and locked it to the rusty collar around the boy's neck. Merreck knew the boy wouldn't dare run away now, so this was just for show. He looked down at the still shivering boy by his side, then spat,  
  
"Now is the time to thank your Master for your punishment, don't you think?"  
  
Being laughed at was no longer something that William even really noticed. It was just something that happened, another thing to endure. He was more focused on survival. He wore the dress gladly, purely for the slight warmth it gave him, then knelt next to Merreck's chair quietly. He heard him speak and trembled a little before saying softly.  
  
"Th -thank you Master..."  
  
He looked down at the floor, unable to lift his head up easily.  
  
Merreck immediately smacked the boy's hair against the chair when he didn't look up.  
  
"You forgot how to answer your Master properly? You look at me whenever I talk to you or you respond, understood?! In fact, your eyes should be on me every second! I'm sure you do not wish to embarrass me any further, correct?"  
  
William's vision blurred as he hit the chair, and looked up at him, keeping eye contact as best he could as he spoke again.  
  
“I'm sorry Master, I don't want to embarrass you, I'll do better..."  
  
"That's better. Your only job in this world is to serve me and do better every single time, that shouldn't be so difficult. Open."  
  
Merreck held a small piece of roasted chicken to the boy's lips and waited for him to open his mouth. Merreck hadn't allowed him much food the last few days, and he usually wasn't fed anything but bread or porridge leftovers, so this was a sudden luxury to him.  
  
William saw the chicken piece and opened his mouth quickly and ate the food, savouring it quietly, then murmuring afterwards.  
  
"Thank you, Master."  
  
Merreck continued to eat, then fed the boy another piece of chicken after a while, getting hard by the thought of the boy gratefully eating from his hand like a simple dog. He glanced down at the boy once in a while, noticing that he kept trembling on the cold floor. After a long while Merreck grabbed his heavy leather cloak lined with wolves fur and wrapped it around the boy's small frame, so he practically disappeared underneath it.  
  
"Don't believe you've deserved such fine clothing, I just need your pathetic cunt to be warm tonight."  
  
William ate easily from his hand, knowing that it would likely be all he would get, and not wanting it to go to waste. However, it just reminded him how starving he was, which was another pain he had to endure. The cloak was huge on him, but almost seemed to radiate heat, making the smaller male almost believe that he might feel warm again some day.  
  
"Thank you, Master."  
  
Merreck kept on eating, drinking and talking with the people at the table, as this was pretty much all there was to do while the rain poured down outside. After a few hours, William was the only one in the room not drunk. People eventually staggered off towards their rooms or the stables, and when there were only a few people left, Merreck ordered them to leave. Then, as there was only himself, William and two guards by the door left, he slowly turned towards the boy by his side with a dangerous smirk. He removed the cloak and put a bowl of water down on the floor in front of him, then traced his fingers through the boy's damp hair.  
  
"I bet my bitch is thirsty, isn't she? Drink puppy, without using your paws of course."  
  
William slowly warmed up, still freezing, but he now had a hold on the huge wracking shivers that went through him, limiting himself to small tremors. He didn't look in danger of completely freezing anymore, though. He silently watched the other leave, but mostly kept his eyes on Merreck as instructed. He looked down at the water and swallowed before saying.  
  
"Thank you, Sir."  
  
He then bent down, carefully lapping at the water in the bowl to get a drink.

Merreck felt his groin burn as he watched the boy drinking from the bowl. He leaned down and traced his strong hand over the boy's butt and under his clothing, squeezing his butt cheek. He then unlocked the chain from his collar and dragged the boy away from the bowl and slammed his upper body down on the table. Merreck pressed his erection against the boy's bottom and leaned in to whisper in his ear.  
  
"Your Master has been very patient with you today, so you're going to be very good for him now. Tell him how you want him to abuse your tight hole. Do you want it to hurt?"  
  
William felt Merreck touching him, holding still as he did so. He let himself be pulled away, catching his breath back as best he could after being slammed down on the table, then swallowed at his words, before begging quietly as he knew Merreck wanted him to.  
  
"Please hurt me, please split me open on your cock, Master. Please abuse my hole and use me, Master."  
  
In his drunk state, this was enough for Merreck. He knew the boy only repeated what he knew Merreck wanted to hear, but it was enough tonight. Before the boy had even finished, Merreck hammered his length inside the boy and dug his nails into his sides to hold on to him better. He worked inside him quickly and violently, dragging the boy back and forth across the table.  
  
"You bet I'm gonna rip you open, you disgusting cunt...!!"  
  
William was too cold and in pain to even imagine getting hard, so he just lay on the table, letting himself be fucked violently without a sound. It hurt, although he was somewhat used to it, and he wasn't going to exactly complain, was he?  
  
Merreck gasped heavily as he pounded into to the boy, harder and deeper with every thrust. He reached out for the boy's hand, the one he had previously crushed, and clenched the broken bones, knowing it would hurt like hell.  
  
"Cry for me, bitch..."  
  
Merreck was sure to tear something sometime, the way he did this, but this was far from William's main focus point right now. The slave screamed as his damaged hand was squeezed, tears soon running down his face as his breath came in sharp sobs.

Merreck cracked a smile at the boy's scream, and let go of his hand when he saw tears running down his face. He pounded harder, hammering the boy's bony hips against the edge of the table, and finally came with a loud roar. He collapsed on top of the boy and lay there for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the boy's struggled breathing. When he finally stepped back, he pulled out and wiped his length off in the boy's dress.  
  
William sobbed quietly in relief as Merreck released his hand, and let out a quiet groan as the weight of his Master forced the air from his lungs, leaving him struggling to catch a breath. He lay still as Merreck got off before speaking as soon as he got his breath back.  
  
"Thank you, Master."  
  
Merreck pulled his pants back up, then emptied his cup of wine.  
  
"You are welcome, pig. Now, help the maids clean up in here and then you may sleep in the stables tonight. You haven't earned the comfort of sleeping in my room yet. But I still want you ready outside my door when I wake up tomorrow,  don't forget that."  
  
Merreck picked up his cloak from the floor before hurrying out the room and moved towards his private quarters.  
  
William watched Merreck leave, then quietly started to clean up, hobbling slightly. The cold made everything hurt more, and he just wanted to curl up and sleep. But that didn't seem like it would be happening tonight.  
  
Merreck returned to his room and soon fell into a deep sleep in an ocean of warm and soft furs. He slept until late the following morning. When he had rubbed sleep from his eyes, he looked around for the boy, confused until he remembered that he had ordered him to sleep in the stables. He looked towards the heavy wooden door, curious if the boy was waiting outside as he had been told.  
  
William had managed to snatch a little sleep in the stables, mostly dozing, really, and was awake at dawn, sitting down outside Merreck's door, ready for whenever he woke up. He stayed there for hours, unaware of when his Master did awaken.  
  
Merreck got dressed and then opened the door and looked down at the skinny boy at his feet. He was very satisfied that he was, in fact, waiting for him, but he didn't let his face show. His look was dark and serious as always.  
  
"You may go your usual round and check on the lights and fireplaces. When you're done, you may join me in the dining hall and tell me how many lights were out."  
  
Besides being Merreck's personal servant, Merreck had also given the boy the responsibility of keeping candles and fireplaces lit in the entire fortress. Fireplaces were only found in the main rooms, but Merreck ordered at least one candle lit in every single room, even the rooms that no one ever used. It was a great way to keep the boy occupied, and once he'd finished his round, Merreck sometimes asked him to check every candle again. Had a candle gone out somewhere, it was just another easy reason for Merreck to punish him.  
  
William had heard Merreck moving about, and moved to kneel as best he could. It wasn't easy with his leg. He looked up as the door opened, and nodded a little before saying:  
  
"Yes Master."  
  
He then got to his feet as quickly as possible and started to shuffle off to go and start his rounds. It was better to do it as quickly but thoroughly as possible.  
  
Merreck look at him as he moved away, enjoying the sight of his struggling movement. He longed to break more bones in the boy's body, but needed to be careful, or he would end up with a servant who couldn't move at all. Merreck moved to the dining hall, where bread, cheese, meat and fruit had just been arranged for breakfast. He started to eat in silence, watching as people entered or left the hall.  
  
His day in the freezing rain and wind had left William with a fever and a horrible cough but he ignored it as he went about his rounds. He couldn't be ill. That was a death sentence here, he was sure. He moved from room to room, making sure that the fireplaces were stocked with wood and soot-free, before lighting them. He lit candles that had blown out as well, and made a complete round of the castle before going to find Mereck again.  
  
Merreck looked up from his food when the slave entered the dining hall. He could always tell, since the hall went completely silent for a moment when the boy entered, as if time stood still. Merreck gestured for him to take place beside him, waiting for the boy to report on how many candles he had had to light again.  
  
William came silently, kneeling beside him and looking up at him as he reported blandly.  
  
"There were twenty-three candles out, Master."  
  
“Twenty-three hm? That would be another twenty-three hours at the pole in the rain, wouldn't it?"  
  
Merreck grabbed the boy by his collar and yanked him up so they were face to face. He definitely wasn't satisfied that the boy had let 23 candles go out, even though it wasn't even his fault.

"Yes Master."  
  
He replied blandly, and swallowed, hating the idea. He was fairly sure that he wouldn't survive another twenty-three hours at the pole. He was still very cold from the day before.  
  
Merreck eyed the boy for a long while, searching for any sign of objection in his eyes, but there was none. So he put him back on the floor without a word and turned back to his food, thinking. He wasn't sure the boy would survive another day on the pole, but he needed to punish him for the candles. How else could he punish him? His body wouldn't stand another flogging either. Hmm... maybe... the dungeons? He'd promise himself never to put the boy down there though. That was for disobedient workers, who was usually left there to die, and the boy didn't belong with them. Threats of sending him to the dungeon might be useful in the future though, and it wouldn't really be a threat if the boy didn't know what it meant to end up there. 23 hours might be just the right amount of time for him to learn. Also, there were no lights down there, so the boy would definitely learn not to forget about the lights afterwards.  
  
"Or what about the dungeons?"  
  
Merreck asked, handing the boy a small slice of bread while studying his cute face and huge blue eyes.  
  
William silently kept his gaze on Merreck as he thought, and then swallowed at the suggestion and took the bread as he replied.  
  
"If you think that's what I deserve, Master, and thank you, Master."  
  
He swallowed, he'd heard tales about the dungeons, and he didn't really want to know how many of them were true. Some of them... It didn't bear to think about.  
  
"That's it then. Eat up, and then go to the guard by the door and ask him to take you to the workers' cell, and bring you back in 23 hours. By then I expect a much more grateful and diligent servant than I have now, understood?"  
  
Merreck nodded towards one of the guards at the door as he spoke, then leaned in and kissed the boy's forehead when he was finished. From the boy's hot skin he could tell he was having a fever, but that didn't change his mind.  
  
"Yes Master, thank you."  
  
William started to eat the piece of bread, making sure not to dawdle. He just needed to get this over with. When he'd finished he went over to the guard and recounted what he'd been told to say, wanting to prove that he could do well.


	2. Chapter 2

The guard looked back at Merreck, a little confused, but when Merreck nodded, the guard grabbed the boy's arm and led him out of the hall. He dragged him through the fortress, through an area the boy had never been to, before they descended into the dungeons. The stench was unbearable, and there were only a few torches on the walls, but they gave enough light for the boy to notice the walls and floor covered in filth and blood. The stones were damp and cold, as was the general temperature. Only the torches gave little warmth in the narrow hall between the cells. The cells were filled with people who were screaming, crying, fighting or just mumbling nonsense, trying to stay sane. Some cells were small and held only one prisoner, others were larger. The guard dragged the boy to one of the larger cells, containing about ten people. The prisoners gathered at the inner cell door to see what was happening, and reached out through the bars when the guard unlocked the front cell door and shoved the boy into the small space between the two doors. Once the outer door was securely locked, the guard ordered the eager prisoners to back off, so he could unlock the second door and let the boy into their cell. It took a moment for them to understand, and they finally stepped back, when they realized that they weren't getting their new toy before they obeyed. The guard poked the boy in the back with a spear, until he was inside the inner cell area, then locked the second cell door as well.  
As soon as the boy was inside, the prisoners leaped at him and ripped his clothes off to get them for themselves.

William was curious, but wary, and this wariness grew as they started to descend, before being replaced with fear. He swallowed as he saw the cell with other people. He could have survived being on his own... This, though... He didn't complain though, just held as still and pliant as he could as he was swamped by the other prisoners, quietly hoping that they'd get bored of him quickly.

Once the boy's clothes were gone, the prisoners started searching his naked body, to make sure they didn't miss any hidden food. They searched his mouth with their filthy fingers, then his hair, then his armpits and between his legs. When he was spun around and his butt cheeks spread, one of the larger males let out an evil grin and pushed himself closer to the boy and grabbed William by his neck as he produced his own length from his pants.  
  
"Let's see how quickly this little one will break. Or maybe you're used to getting it up there, since you wore a dress, huh?"

Not wanting to induce any more violence than was necessary, William let them probe everywhere without complaint, without a noise of protest or even a squirm. He swallowed as he felt his cheeks being spread and kept silent in response to the comment, wondering idly if he would die down here.

The huge male had just hammered himself into the fragile boy, when he suddenly pulled out again. A smaller male, though still larger than William, had pushed the large male away, and they were now arguing loudly.  
  
"Just look at his clothes! He's not one of us! You risk being killed if you take him like that!"   
  
"Shut the fuck up you little shit! You don't tell me what to do! Why would he be here if it wasn't to rot up with the rest of us??"   
  
"It could be a test! You know how the guards love playing games!"   
  
The huge male growled, then smashed a fist in the other male's face, causing him to stumble back into the boy so they both fell to the ground.   
  
"Very well, Jack, I'll leave him be. I'll take you later instead."   
  
The huge male left and moved further back into the darkness, while Jack moved off the boy, but stayed close to him, glancing around to make sure no one else was going to bother him any further. When they seemed safe, Jack helped the boy sit up against the wall, then removed his own short cape and wrapped it around the boy.   
  
"I'm sorry for pushing you over, here, put this on."

William felt his whole body cry out in response to the hard thrust, but still he kept silent. He froze as he was pulled out again, backing away slowly from the fight, but evidently not quick enough. He hit the floor hard, breath leaving his lungs for a moment, and coming back in a harsh coughing fit that left his voice hoarse as he spoke quietly to his saviour, his eyes still mistrustful. How did he know that this man didn't scare off the other just so that he could take him himself.

"Thank you…"

Jack studied the boy through the darkness. A bit of light from the torches allowed him to see most of the boy's face, and he was puzzled by how young he seemed. Along with the clothes he was wearing... Jack noticed the anxious look in the boy's eyes, and so he moved a bit further back, but stayed close enough to shield him from the others behind him. He glanced back once in a while to make sure they didn't come closer. He then looked back at the boy and whispered.  
  
"You're not a worker, are you...? I mean, the dress... the fabric... a worker would never wear that..."

William paused at the question and then shook his head slowly. He wasn't a worker. And it wasn't like it was a secret what he was, so he replied verbally for the first time truly. Straying from his usual answers of 'Yes', 'No', and 'Thank you'.  
  
"I'm Lord Merreck's personal servant."   
  
Servant was, of course, a misleading term, as he was still very much a slave, but it was his title, and so he said it blandly, his blue eyes focusing on the man's face for a moment before flirting back to the darkness of the room, watching out constantly

Jack hesitated for a moment. Maybe he shouldn't be speaking to the boy. As he had proposed himself, it could be a trap, and his fate could be a lot more unpleasant, if he made a mistake yet again. He glanced back at the others. It didn't seem like they'd heard, but one of them had moved slightly closer and stared at them with hungry eyes. Jack moved slightly closer to the boy again, to block the way for the other prisoners, then looked back at him. It made sense now, why he was so clean. Jack's skin and hair was dark with grease and filth, since he hadn't had a bath for months. Only his bright green eyes shone through the dirt. Despite his state, his eyes were still warm though and smiled at the boy, even if his mouth didn't. He leaned in and whispered again.  
  
"I didn't think he would sent persons of your status down here..."

William's own eyes were oddly blank. He'd had any warmth or hope beaten out of him a long time ago. He did, however, let out a small laugh and replied derisively.  
  
"What status?"   
  
He was a slave. Sure he only took his orders from Merreck, but he was still far lower than anyone else there. He was ridiculed. Constantly. It was a moment longer before he replied to the actual statement itself.   
  
"I made a mistake."

Jack had always envied the servants at the fortress whenever he watched them buy groceries at the market in the village. After all, they had free access to food and heat. But watching the boy told him a different story. It wasn't until now he noticed the scars and bruises all over his body, and his leg was slightly twisted. For the first time in a while he felt a lump in his throat.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that...."   
  
He moved even closer and wrapped his cape tighter around the boy, noticing then how much he was shivering. He placed a hand on his forehead and frowned.   
  
"Are you ill? It feels like you're having fever..."   
  
One of the prisoners apparently heard the last part, and took a step back.   
  
"Is he sick?? Get away from him then!”

William could feel the stranger's gaze move up his body, lingering on his arm, on his leg. He waited for the taunts, the retraction of the gentle words, but they didn't come. Shocked eyes looked at him as he spoke, and he held stock still as the other came closer. This was it, he would be taking him now, surely. The slave didn't know how to react when he didn't, when he just wrapped him up tighter and gently lay a hand on his forehead. He froze as he was asked if he was ill, he couldn't be ill. He was just about to deny it when he heard the other prisoner speak and realised that this was his chance to make sure that they stayed away. Down here, illness was probably a death sentence in itself. So William bit back with a spirit far more like the boy who had arrived at the castle than the one who lived here now.  
  
"Yes. Very. So stay away!"

"Shut up!"  
  
Jack spat back at the other male over his shoulder. He then sat down beside the boy, with his back against the wall and put an arm around him. He pulled him closer, so the boy could feel the warmth from Jack's body, and so he could shift the cape from the boy's upper body, to cover his free side and legs instead. He felt the boy tense up when he touched him, but continued as he didn't put up a fight. Jack kept an eye on the other prisoners constantly, but after a while he started whispering to the boy again to comfort him.   
  
"Don't worry, it's going to be okay... I'm sure Merreck will regret his decision and take you back soon... he can't do without you, can he?"

William froze as he felt an arm went around him, swallowing nervously, but not struggling. He slowly settled down as Jack just held him close, the warmth from his body nice. He laughed softly at the supposedly comforting words, the sound dry and unamused.  
  
"Twenty-three hours, apparently."

Jack frowned at the boy's reply and turned his head to look at him.  
  
"What do you mean?"

William swallowed and replied blankly, looking straight ahead as he spoke.  
  
"Twenty-three candles were out, so I'm supposed to be here for twenty-three hours."

Jack didn't respond at first, as he didn't know what to say, so he just looked at him. He already knew he was going back soon? Back upstairs to the food and heat. And freedom, in some way. Jack felt betrayed for a short moment. He wasn't sure why though. Maybe because he felt some kind of connection to the boy already, although he knew he shouldn't. They were all going to die down here at some point, so starting to care for someone was the most stupid thing he could do. But this was somehow even worse. The boy would leave them in less than a day, while they had to stay down there, until they starved to death. Jack adjusted slightly, but kept embracing the boy.  
  
"Well, I'm happy for you..."

William swallowed, leaning against him silently and looked down at his hands. He somehow didn't want to leave. At least down here he knew what to expect. He would die down here. But somehow, he was oddly alright with that, if Jack didn't let go of him. He quietly murmured.  
  
"I -I don't want to do this anymore..."

At first, Jack thought the boy meant cuddling, that he wanted Jack to let go of him. But he didn't, and when the boy didn't move, Jack held him a little tighter.  
  
"I'm not sure what you mean...?"

William heard the question and replied sadly, almost scaredly.  
  
"Any of this. I don't want to go back. I just want the pain to stop."

Jack wasn't sure what to say. The boy was about to be freed in only 23 hours, and now he'd rather die? Jack clenched him slightly and rested his head against the boy's hair, enjoying the feeling and smell of someone cleaner than him, while he still could.  
  
"I'm sure everything's gonna be alright... please don't think like that. For me? I'll never get a chance to get out of here. Sitting here with you is the closest I'll ever get to the outside world again. And to hope. There's still hope for you... please."

William leaned against him and nodded a little. How could he say that he preferred it down here? At least down here he didn't have to deal with Merreck, and the rape he'd experience could hardly be worse, could it? And it wouldn't last as long, for sure. He swallowed and nodded again, a little more surely. He could pretend. For him.  
  
"I'll try... My name's William, by the way.”

"I'm Jack..."  
  
Jack didn't say anything else, and both of them just sat there for a while in silence. Jack constantly kept an eye on the other prisoners to make sure they would keep away. The huge male, who had given up the new boy in exchange for Jack later, was tormenting someone else at the bottom of the dark cell. Jack caressed the boy's hair gently, imagining he was someone known to him, family or an old friend.   
  
"Will you think of me, when you get out of here...?"

William liked silence. And he was enjoying just being close to another human being, without them expecting more from him. Taking more from him. He closed his eyes as his hair was stroked, leaning against him more and then nodding at his question.  
  
"Most definitely."   
  
He gave him a small smile, a genuine smile, and then asked in return.   
  
"Will you think of me, when I leave?"

“Every second... I'll think of how your lord will forgive you, and apologize for putting you down here. He'll promise never to hurt you again, and you'll enjoy fresh bread, cheese and milk each morning..."  
  
Jack chuckled a little and moved his hand down to caress the boy's arm under the cape, and he noticed the boy wasn't shivering as much any more.

William giggled softly at the thought, at how unlikely that was. He smiled and said softly.  
  
"If that happens I'll make sure that he frees you."   
  
He flinched at the touch to his arm, used to Merreck gripping it hard because he knew that it always hurt, but relaxed when it stayed gentle. He was feeling warmer, and happier, than he had in a long time. But this was soon broken by a harsh and painful coughing fit.

Jack sat up quickly when the boy started coughing and stroked his back gently.  
  
"Are you alright?"   
  
"He's sick you idiot! Get away from him! If it spreads I'm fucking killing you!"   
  
One of the prisoners threw a stone at Jack, but he managed to avert it, and leaned further in over William to shield him, as he waited for his coughing fit to cease.   
  
William got himself under control. He couldn't really deny that he was ill, and he didn't want Jack to get hurt. Or killed. So he said dejectedly.   
  
"You should probably keep away... I'm going, I don't want to cause trouble."

"No. I stay here. I don't want to risk you getting hurt. You actually have a chance of getting a good life. The possibility may seem small, but it's there. And that's more than can be said for any of us down here..."  
  
Jack looked down in his lap for a long moment, before his bright eyes found William's again.   
  
"Can I tell you about my life?"   
  
William blushed lightly at Jack's words, his refusal to leave. This made the slave feel oddly relieved that Jack was staying. He looked up as he spoke again and then nodded a little.   
  
"Yes please..."

Jack rested his head against William's, so he could whisper into his ear. He then started telling about the small farmhouse  where he until recently had lived with his mother and sister. He told about his childhood, and added several magical details to make it sound better than it was, and make it memorable. He painted a vivid picture of how he had been chasing fairies in the nearby woods, and the time he had seen a baby dragon at the hills. He even told about how his father died at sea when Jack was little, losing a battle to a massive octopus. He finally told the story of how he had ended up here several months ago, because he had been treated unfair by a guard in the village, and had been stupid enough to start a fight with him. That story was true enough, but he still added a bit heroic details to the fighting scenario. He sighed deeply once he'd finished and then went quiet.

By the time that Jack had finished, William's eyes were wide and full of wonder. He smiled up at him again, and then leaned up to press the smallest press of a kiss against his cheek with a light blush as he said softly.  
  
"Thank you..."   
  
He knew, of course, that parts of the story weren't real, but if he could believe in that, maybe he could believe that he might be free someday.

Jack stared back at him in surprise when he was kissed, then cracked into a huge smile and kissed him back on his forehead and held him a little tighter.  
  
"Do you want to tell me your story?"

William liked how tightly Jack held him, even though it agitated his arm slightly. That was worth it for the feeling of safety he got. He paused at the question, then shook his head mutely. There wasn't any way he could romanticise his story. He didn't know how Jack could even think about it.

Jack was a bit disappointed, he longed to hear about life outside the darkness, no matter what life it was. But he understood that it might be difficult for the boy to talk about, and so he wouldn't press him any further.  
  
"That's okay... you don't have to. I understand... But I'm sure it won't be as bad when you leave this place... And I'll be with you all the time to protect you. Physical pain is something we how to endure in this life, but your freedom will always be in here."   
  
Jack tapped the top of William's head lightly and smiled.   
  
William listened and nodded a little, snuggling closer and then saying with a small smile.   
  
"I was born under the sun... When I was a small child I would run far and wide in the open air, I had so much freedom... I didn't live nearby, I'd never heard of... Of him... But because I was allowed to roam so, I got picked up by slavers."   
  
He sighed softly then added on with a small smile.   
  
"But I don't think the feeling of the sun warming your back can ever truly be forgotten, can it?"

Jack smiled back. He could suddenly feel the sun on his arms again, when William talked about it.  
  
"Not as long as you don't let it be forgotten.."

William was glad to make him smile, and it was easier to think about those things than he had thought it would be. He closed his eyes slowly, still thinking quietly.  
  
Jack rested his head on the boy's hair and stared into the darkness, the sudden warmth between the two suddenly making him feel drowsy and he started to doze off. He didn't get to sleep long though, when the noise of the other prisoners shoving their way towards the door suddenly woke him up. Jack leaped up and placed himself in front of the boy, so that the other prisoners wouldn't stomp all over him on their way towards the bread and carrots that had just been thrown through the bars and lay spread on the floor. Jack then darted into the pile of desperate fighting limps to get some of the food.

The slave woke at the sudden noise, soon working out what was  happening. When Jack left, William watched quietly, staying out of the way. He'd eaten a lot more recently than Jack had, he would guess, and it wasn't like Merreck was going to starve him completely, he was sure. So he didn't even try.

Jack soon came back with a carrot and half a slice of bread. He'd also gotten himself a sore jaw and what would soon turn into a black eye. But he smile triumphantly at his price and sat down close to the boy again, starting to break the carrot and the bread into two for them to share.  
  
William smiled at Jack, but frowned and shook his head as Jack started to get ready to share the frankly meager food. It wasn't enough for one, let alone too.   
  
"No, I had something before I was brought here..."

Jack determinedly offered William half of both the carrot and the slice of bread as he nodded towards the bottom half of the boy's skinny legs shoving under the cape.  
  
"Maybe, but your clearly haven't had enough. And you're ill. Eat."   
  
William shook his head again and frowned slightly.   
  
"I'm fine."   
  
He didn't want to deprive Jack, he'd already caused him enough trouble as it was.   
  
Jack held the food out stubbornly, but when he realized William wasn't going to eat it, he hid it away on the floor between them with a sigh. He then started eating his own share, enjoying every mouthful of it.

William was hungry, of course he was, he was always hungry, but he wouldn't let Jack know. Jack had to be hungrier, surely. He'd just hold off until he left and then Jack could eat the rest.  
  
Jack finished his food in silence, watching the boy every now and then. When he had finished, he looked at the boy and quietly asked.   
  
"What's he like... Merreck... I mean, apart from the abuse..."   
  
Jack's question got returned with a small shrug and then a murmured comment of.   
  
"Loud, big... Violent."   
  
William sighed softly, there wasn't really anything else he could say, apart from synonyms of the above.   
  
Jack didn't know why he'd even asked about it, maybe just because he wanted to hear about whatever from outside of this room. About other people than his hostile fellow prisoners. He shook his head and looked down instead.   
  
"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have asked, it was stupid... "   
  
Still unused to the apologies, William shrugged again and replied.   
  
"It's fine. It's not... I shouldn't ignore it."   
  
If he got too used to this, then going back would be even harder.   
  
Jack moved closer to him and embraced him again, holding him closer and tighter than before. He made sure the remaining food was still hidden between them, then rested his head on top of the boy's hair and just watched the other prisoners.   
Jack stayed like this for the next many hours, reaching down to take a bit of bread to eat every once in a while, each time offering it to the boy before ending up eating it himself. He dozed off several times, but didn't sleep for long. When he didn't know what to talk about, he whispered stories to the boy. Stories about free people outside the fortress, myths and magical tales, some of them he invented himself, others he had been told by his mother when he was younger.   
  
As time passed by, William steadily grew more hot and feverish, shivering slightly and cuddling closer to Jack, despite his temperature. He focused on Jack's voice, listening to his voice when he couldn't bring his mind to grasp his words.

A few times one of the prisoners came over to disturb them, but Jack managed to turn them away every time without getting into trouble. When the two of them were once again woken up by some noise, Jack thought it was just the others, and curled up closer with the boy. However, this time the voice was angrier and determined, and when Jack looked up, a guard was by the cell door, shouting for William to get up. Jack didn't know what to do. He didn't want to let go of William, and so he kept still, holding the boy close.

William shivered at the voice and blinked his eyes open slowly, pulling away from Jack slowly. If he stayed here, he'd just be in more trouble. He'd already be punished for being ill, he didn't need anything else.  
  
"I should... Should go..."

Jack stared at the guard hammering on the cell door, then at William and then at the other prisoners, who were angry about the noise and the fact that William was about to leave them.  
  
"I... please..."   
  
Jack knew he was being selfish, the boy had a chance to leave and survive, and he should. Jack finally let go of him, and felt his eyes well up as he did so. He quickly stood and helped the boy get on his feet.   
  
"What the fuck is happening? Is he leaving? Did you know, Jack? Did you know without telling us!?"

William was watching Jack silently as he fought with himself, his own eyes growing watery. He didn't want to go. He didn't want to leave. But he had to. He focused himself as Jack helped him stand and made his way to the door, saying decisively.

"He didn't know anything."

"You fucking traitor Jack!!"  
  
When they were close to the inner cell door, the guard ordered Jack to stand back and let the boy go for himself. Jack gave William a single kiss on his forehead, before he pushed him out through the first door. As soon as it slammed shut behind the boy, a few of the prisoners, led by the the huge male from earlier, grabbed hold of Jack and pulled him back into the darkness. Jack tried his best to stay quiet and calm as the others began hitting him and pulled his pants down. He stared out at the boy with tears in his eyes, hoping with all of his heart that the boy would some day escape all of this.   
  
William watched with terrified eyes, making a silent vow to himself then that he would do whatever it took to get rid of Merreck. All of this... He deserved everything that came to him. But there was no use trying anything now. He was ill, and even weaker than usual, there was no way that he'd manage anything.

Jack waited to plead and beg for them to stop until William was out of the dungeon. The guard led him by a firm grip at his arm, and dragged him through the narrow hall until they were back upstairs in the main part of the fortress. It was now morning the following day, and the guard had been ordered to take William to Merreck's private quarters. Merreck was enjoying his breakfast in silence in his own smaller dining room, and didn't even look up when the guard entered and threw the naked boy on the floor in front of the table.  



End file.
